Heating system.



Patented App I0, i900.

A; 6. PAUL. HEATING SYSTEM.

Application filed Apr. 25, 1896.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR v/lrwfw TH; noRms PETERS co.. mo'muma. WASHINGTON, m c.

mn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREl/V G. PAUL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEATING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,023, dated April10, 1900. Application filed April 25, 1896. Serial No. 589,003. (Nomodel.)

' T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW G. PAUL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in HeatingSystems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which'form a part hereof.

This invention relates to heating systems in which a pipe or passage isprovided for the escape of the air from the heater or radiator orsystem; and it is especially applicable to a system, such as that shownin the drawings of United States Letters Patent to Skiffington, No.464,946, of December 8, 1891, wherein there is an air-pipe additional tothe supply and return pipe or pipes and an exhauster connected with theair-pipe.

The object of this invention is to automatically control the escape ofthe air from the radiator or heater or system by means of the heated airgiven oif therefrom or from any selected part thereof, and thereby toregulate the part or extent of the radiator or heater or system fromwhich the air shall be discharged, and which shall thereby be broughtinto operation and made efficient in the work of heating, and in thisway to regulate or adjust the amount of heat furnished by the system.

This invention consists, first, in the combination, with a heater orradiator and the other necessary parts of such a system, of a pipe orpassage adapted to permit the escape of air from the radiator or heateror system when the heating vehicle is admitted to the system, and athermostat comprising an expanding member and an air-chamber around orin proximity to the expanding member adapted to receive the heated airpassing off from said heater or radiator or system, the thermostat beingconnected with the air-pipe, whereby the expanding member of thethermostat will be expanded or contracted by into the air-chamber andwill thereby control the air-pipe.

The invention also consists in so constructing the air-chamber and itsconnections that it can be connected with diiferentparts of the heateror radiator or system, so as to receive air from any one of said parts.

the air passing The invention also consists in the combination, withsome or all of the parts above named, of a connecti'ng pipe connectingthe air-chamber of the thermostat with the air-pipe,wherebya current ofair oanbe established through the air-chamber and out through theair-pipe. This part of my invention also contemplates the employment ofan exhauster connected with the air-pipe.

The invention also consists in the combina-' tion, with the partsalready named, of acheckvalve on the air-pipe between the radiator andthe connecting-pipe that joins the airchamber andthe air-pipe, wherebythe air from the air-chamber cannot pass into the radiator. It alsoconsists in combining with the said connecting-pipe a check-valve onsaid pipe to prevent the air in the radiator from passing through theconnecting-pipe into the air-chamber of the thermostat.

The invention also consists of certain other features of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 shows a radiator With myimprovement applied thereto.Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View through the thermostat andradiator. Fig. 3 shows another form of thermostat, having a flexibleportion with a clip or catch at its end; and Fig. 4 is a detailedsectional view of the end of this flexible pipe with its fastening-clip.Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of the thermostat, the air-pipe, theconnecting-pipe, and the valves thereon; and Fig. 6 is a detail View ofthe face of the thermostat next to the radiator, showing the aperturesin the wall of the thermostat and the covers for the same.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a is an ordinary radiator. 19 is apipe serving at the same time as the supply-pipe and the returnpipe, theradiator being in the particular arrangement shown connected up on thesinglepipe system. A double-pipe system could be equally well employed.0 is an ordinary valve on the pipe I). d is an air-pipe, preferablyconnected with the upper part of the heater, and e is an exhauster atthe outer end of'the air-pipe. I prefer to use a jet of steam or ofwater as the exhausting device. f is a thermostat. It consists of theexpanding member g, surrounded by the air-chamber 7t. The air chamber orspace is formed between the outer wall of the thermostat and theexpanding member. It extends across the radiator and is provided withapertures i t opposite the different tubes of the radiator, adapted toadmit heated air to the air-chamber. Each of these apertures has a coverj, adapted to be moved so as to open or close the aperture, and thuspermit or prevent the admission of air at that point. These covers canbe pivoted to the wall of the thermostat or fastened in place in anyother suitable manner. The expanding member 9 can be greatly varied inform and construction. In the form shown it consists of a tube openinginto an enlarged space on one side of the diaphragm it, this tube andenlarged space being filled With some suitable expanding material, suchas a more or less volatile liquid or linseed-oil. The diaphragm is isattached on its other side to the spindle Z of an ordinary valve min theair-pipe. A coiled spring n is placed around the valve-spindle to openthe valve or assist in opening it when the member g contracts. Theair-pipe is provided with an ordinary thermostatic valve 0 and acheck-valve p to prevent air from passing back into the radiator. q is aconnecting-pipe joining the airchamber of the thermostat with theair-pipe. This pipe is provided with a check-valve r to prevent air frompassing back into the thermostat f. The air-pipe is preferably providedwith an ordinary shut-off valve or cock .9. The operation of this deviceis as follows: When the system is started and the steam or other heatingagent is admitted to the system, the air, with which the radiator isfull, passes out through the air-pipe. When an exhauster is used, thedecreased pressure produced thereby in the air-pipe causes the air inthe radiator to flow into the airpipe. When no exhauster is used, thedischarge of the air is dependent upon the pressure on the supply side.The amount of steam that can enter the radiator is dependent upon theamount of air that escapes therefrom. If the operator Wishes to put intooperation only three tubes of the radiator, he opens the aperture 'i,which is opposite the third tube, by moving or swinging the cover j backfrom its closed position. The other apertures ii are left shut. When thesteam reaches the third tube, that tube is heated and heat is therebyimparted to the surrounding air. This heated air passes through theaperturei and into the air-chamber 77, of the thermostat and heats themember c That member expands and thereby moves the diaphragm 7c and thespindle or valve-stem Z and closes the valve min the air-pipe. No moreair can escape from the radiator. Hence the steam cannot enter anyfarther into the radiator. In this Way the heated air passing off fromthe radiator opcrates the thermostat and through it the airpipe.

In the best form of my invention Iemploy an exhauster in connection withthe air-pipe, as already described. This exhauster causes a strongcurrent of air to be established through the aperture 11, air-chamber h,connecting-pipe q, and air-pipe d, which causes the heated air to passmore rapidly into the air-chamber, and thereby increases the efficiencyand accuracy of operation of the system. The check-valve r prevents anyair from passing backward through the pipe (1 into the thermostat, whichmight happen in case the exhauster were not in use and there was anexcess of pressure in the radiator. The check-valve p on the air-pipeprevents air from passing back into the radiator through the air-pipe.The thermostatic valve 0 on the air-pipe operates in the well-knownmanner to prevent the escape of steam.

I prefer to make the outer wall of the thermostat of non-conductingmaterial or to coat it with such material, so that no substantial amountof heat will be conducted through the wall itself to the contents of theair-chamber; but the'heat will be conveyed to the ex panding member onlyby the heated air entering one of the apertures 2'.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown the preferred form of my invention. It issimilar to the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the expandingmemberis made much shorter and the outer tube of the thermostat isprovided with a flexible end portion 25 and has only oneaperture-namely, at its end. The end of the tube is provided with a clipor fastening device u, as shown in Fig. 4, adapted to he slipped ontoany tube of the radiator. The operation is the same as has been alreadydescribed, except that instead of opening an aperture 2' in the wall ofthe thermostat opposite the tube selected the end of the thermostat isbrought against or near the particular tube of the radiator desired andfastened in that place by the clip u. The heated air passing off fromthe radiator-tube enters the opening at the end of this flexible tubeand passes around the member g and imparts heat to it, and therebycontrols the air-pipe, as already explained. Any form of clip orfastening device can be employed.

By the use of my improvement the extent to which the radiator is putinto use can be easily and accurately regulated and the amount of heatfurnished by the system easily and accurately controlled. The expandingmember is itself stationary, which reduces the liability of its gettingout of order. The thermostat is so arranged as to respond very quicklyto any changes of temperature in the part of the system with which it isconnected. The apparatus is simple and economical.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a heating system, of an air-pipe for removingair therefrom, and a thermostat consisting of an expanding member and anair-chamber in proximity to said member adapted to receive the heatedair passing off from said heating system, the thermostat being connectedwith the air-pipe and adapted to control the same, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination with a heating system, of an air-pipe for removingair therefrom, a valve controlling said air-pipe, and a thermostatconsisting of an expanding member and an air-chamber in proximity tosaid member adapted to receive the heated air passing off from saidheating system, the thermostat being connected with the valve on theair-pipe and adapted to control the same, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a heating system, of an air-pipe for removingair therefrom, a valve controlling said air-pipe, and a thermostatconsisting of an expanding member and an air-chamber in proximity tosaid member adapted to be connected with different parts of the heatingsystem and to receive the heated air therefrom, the thermostat beingconnected with the valve on the air-pipe and adapted to control thesame, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination with a heater or radia tor, of an air-pipe forremoving air therefrom, a valve controlling said air-pipe, a thermostatconsisting of an expanding member and an airchamber in proximity to saidmember adapted to be connected with diiferent parts of the heater orradiator and to receive the heated air therefrom, the thermostat beingconnected with the valve on the air-pipe and adapted to control thesame, and a pipe connecting the air-pipe and the air-chamber of thethermostat, substantially as set forth 5. The combination with a heateror radiator, of an air-pipe for removing airtherefrom, an exhausterconnected with the air-pipe, a valve in the air-pipe and a thermostatconsisting of an expanding member and an air-chamber in proximity tosaid member adapted to be connected with different parts of the heateror radiator and to receive the heated air therefrom, the thermostatbeing connected with the valve on the airpipe and adapted to open orclose the same, and a connecting-pipe connecting the air-pipe and theair-chamber of the thermostat, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a heater or radiator, of an air-pipe forremoving air therefrom additional to the supply and return pipe orpipes, an exhauster connected with the airpipe, a valve in the air-pipeand a thermostat consisting of an expanding member and an air-chamber inproximity to said member adapted to be connected with different parts ofthe heater or radiator and to receive the heated air therefrom, thethermostat being connected With the valve on the airfpipe and adapted toopen or close the same, and a connecting-pipe connecting the air-pipeand the air-chamber of the thermostat, and a checkvalve on the air-pipebetween the connectingpipe and the heater or radiator, substantially asset forth.

7. The combination with a heater or radiator, of an air-pipe forremoving air therefrom additional to the supply and return pipe orpipes, an exhanster connected with the airpipe, a valve in the air-pipeand a thermostat consisting of an expanding member'and an air-chamber inproximity to said member adapted to be connected with different parts ofthe heater or radiator and to receive the heated air therefrom, thethermostat being connected with the valve on the air-pipe and adapted toopen or close the same, and aconnecting-pipe connecting the air-pipe andthe air-chamber of the thermostat, and a checkvalve on the air-pipebetween the connectingpipe and the heater or radiator and a checkvalveon said connecting-pipe, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination wit-h a heater or radiator, of an air-pipe forremoving air therefrom additional to the supply and return pipe orpipes, a thermostatic valve on the air-pipe, an exhauster connected withthe air-pipe, a second valve in the air-pipe and a thermostat consistingof an expanding member and an air-chamber in proximity to said memberadapted to be connected with different parts of the heater or radiatorand to receive the heated air therefrom, the thermostat being connectedwith the second valve on the airpipe and adapted to open or close thesame, and a connecting-pipe connecting the air-pipe and the air-chamberof the thermostat, and a check-valve on the air-pipe between theconnecting-pipe and the heater or radiator, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with a heater or radiator and an air-pipe forremoving air therefrom additional to the supply and return pipe orpipes, and an exhauster connected with the air-pipe and a valve on theair-pipe, of a thermostat consisting of the expanding member g, and theair-chamber h and the flexible portion t adapted to connect theair-chamber with different parts of the heater or radiator, theexpanding member of the thermostat being connected with the valve on theair-pipe, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of the radiator a, the air-pipe d, the exhauster e,the valve m, the thermostat f consisting of the expanding member g andthe air-chamber h and connected with the valve m, the flexible portion25, and the fastening device u, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW e. PAUL.

Witnesses:

EDWIN SEGER, GEO. W. MILLS, Jr.

